The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing a yarn package for subsequent yarn restarting operation and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for removing an auxiliary yarn disposed on a package following a prior unsuccessful yarn restarting operation in which the auxiliary yarn was not successfully pieced with still-to-be-wound yarn.
German Offenlegungsschrift 17 85 236 and German Auslegeschrift 23 51 312 each disclose a method for automatically restarting the feed of yarn from a drafting device onto a package supported at a spinning station of a ring spinning machine following a yarn break thereat. In each disclosed method, auxiliary yarn from an auxiliary yarn supply carried on a traveling service unit is drawn and is simultaneously wound onto the package and pieced with the still-to-be-wound yarn which has been drafted through the drafting device. The length of auxiliary yarn is eventually cut after a predetermined period of time during which successful piecing of the auxiliary yarn with the still-to-be-wound yarn has presumably occurred.
Such yarn restarting operations including the use of auxiliary yarn offer time-saving advantages over yarn restarting operations in which the end of the yarn already wound on the package is first located to restore the yarn to its unbroken condition. However, yarn restarting operations including the use of an auxiliary yarn can lead to operational problems during subsequent handling of the packages on which the auxiliary yarn is wound such as, for example, during subsequent winding of the package at the winding station of a textile winding machine. For example, an operational problem can later arises if an initial attempt to piece the auxiliary yarn with the still-to-be-wound yarn did not succeed. Since the auxiliary yarn is typically cut after a predetermined lapse of time whether or not the auxiliary yarn has successfully pieced with the still-to-be-wound yarn, the cut length of auxiliary yarn is merely itself wound on the package in such instances without drawing the still-to-be-wound yarn onto the package as well. Thus, the feed of the still-to-be-wound yarn has still not been successfully restarted and the package now includes the yarn end of the yarn wound prior to the yarn break as well as the yarn end of the cut length of the unsuccessfully pieced auxiliary yarn. There is an increased risk with such yarn packages having two free yarn ends that both yarn ends will be simultaneously engaged during subsequent handling of the yarn package by an automatic yarn end preparation device, thereby leading to the occurrence of loops and other undesired consequences. Even if the subsequent yarn end preparation process is successful, the relatively short length of auxiliary yarn is relatively rapidly unwound from the yarn package so that a yarn break occurs relatively shortly after the beginning of the winding of yarn from the package at a winding station and which typically leads to ejection of the yarn package.